NATURAL HISTORY. 



405 



should. The eye is one of the most inter- 

 esting features of any living creature. Let 

 Recreation readers, therefore, take up the 

 study of eyes especially. Let every person 

 who may kill, or who may have an oppor- 

 tunity of observing, in the live state, any 

 bird or animal, including fishes, examine 

 carefully, and report to Recreation — 

 briefly, yet tersely and explicitly — on the 

 shape, color and form of the eye. 



Such reports will be printed, from time 

 to time, in the Natural History Depart- 

 ment of Recreation; and I am sure such 

 a symposium may be made deeply interest- 

 ing, if my readers will devote the care and 

 thought to the matter which it deserves. 



natural history notes. 



The San Francisco Call recently printed 

 a blazing article, headed in big display let- 

 ters, '* Got a Fortune in Feathers," and 

 telling of 4 men (giving also their por- 

 traits, and pictures of feathers and eggs), 

 who had been slaughtering birds, especially 

 egrets, in Chiapas, Mexico. 



These bird butchers reported that on an 

 island '" the birds were so tame we went 

 right among them, and yet they wouldn't 

 fly more than 20 feet away. In 5 months 

 we got over 15 pounds of the egret feath- 

 ers, which we brought home." 



It is hoped the time will soon come when 

 there will be no market for egret plumes, 

 or other decorative feathers, and when 

 such brutes will have to get down to hon- 

 est work. 



I have taken a deep interest in the dis- 

 cussion regarding the wolf's and the dog's 

 habit of perfuming themselves by rolling 

 in carrion. 



I offer the following guess: Could it not 

 be to drive away insect pests? 



I have noticed the habit in dogs and they 

 often select carrion in an advanced stage 

 of putrefaction — generally dry or nearly so 

 — around which no flies are hovering. 



I only offer this as a possibility; but 

 really believe it a probability. Who has 

 not seen fleas leaving rabbits as soon as 

 dead? Carrion baths have probably be- 

 come hereditary, as have other habits pe- 

 culiar to domestic animals. 

 Don D. Cornell, D.D.S., Knoxville, la. 



Mr. Hornaday's article on the skunk, in 

 the August number of Recreation, is es- 

 pecially applicable to this locality. A Mrs. 

 Randolph, of Tonto Basin, the wife of one 

 of our big cattlemen, was recently bitten 

 by a skunk, while camped at Little Springs. 

 20 miles from here. The animal fastened 

 itself to her hand and retained its hold un- 

 til her son smashed its head with a rock. 

 They immediately packed up, came to 



town, and took the fir-,t train for Chicago, 



where Mrs. Randolph is now being treated. 



A. C. Fayrer-Hickey, Flagstaff, Ariz. 



Seeing the measurements of an ante- 

 lope's head in Recreation, and being in- 

 terested in such matters, I inclose the 

 measurements of a head I have. 



The buck weighed 116 pounds and meas- 

 ured as follows: 



Length of left horn 16^ inches. 



Length of right horn 16% 



Spread of horns, at tips 13^ 



Spread at widest part 16 



Length of skull 14^ 



Circumference of horns, at 

 base 6 



I have been careful about the measure- 

 ments and know they are correct. I would 

 like to hear from anyone who can go us 

 one better. 



Paul Compton, V D Ranch, 



Crazy Woman, Wyo. 



I send you by express to-day, an ante- 

 lope head (with my compliments) that will 

 outmeasure, for length, circumference, and 

 spread of horns, the head our Wyoming 

 friend mentions. You can measure it and 

 publish the measurements if you like. 



W. F. Sheard, Tacoma, Wash. 



Length of horn, around curve 14^4 inches. 



Spread at widest place 15^ 



Circumference at widest place 6 



— Editor. 



Apropos of the article in July Recrea- 

 tion, on the brant with the arrow-head: 

 2 swans were killed here, in the Currituck 

 sound, a few years ago, each of which had 

 a flint arrow-head embedded between its 

 shoulders and well covered with flesh, 

 showing the missiles had been there for 

 some time. 



A. S. Doane, Coinjock, N. C. 



The Natural History Department in 

 Recreation has given me many valuable 

 points; and has taught me things I never 

 dreamed of before. 



C. T. Metzger, Union City, Pa. 



Send me $1.50 for Recreation one year 

 and Mr. W. T. Hornaday's great book. 

 " The Man Who Became a Savage." The 

 book alone sells at $1.50 in the stores. Re- 

 newals are included in this offer. 



Young man, go find a benison 

 In twisting words from Tennyson: 

 '' 'Tis better to have loved and lost " 

 Than to be married and be bossed. 



